Colorado's Equity Strategic Plan
Colorado's Health Equity Strategic Plan
Working toward a Colorado where everyone has the opportunity to thrive...
What is health equity?
Health equity is when everyone, regardless of background, has the opportunity to thrive. It requires removing barriers like poverty and improving access to education, healthcare, transportation, and employment.
Why does health equity matter?
Where people are born, live, work, and learn affects their health. Factors like economic stability, quality education, safe housing, and access to healthcare play a big role in health outcomes. Some communities face greater challenges, leading to poorer health.
While we’ve made progress to improve the health of the overall population over the past few decades – both in Colorado and nationwide – not everyone benefits equally. Our health equity reports show how these inequities have disproportionately impacted underrepresented communities, which often have worse health outcomes as a result.
The Colorado General Assembly has directed agencies to develop health equity strategic plans that address the social determinants of health and reduce health disparities (SB 21-181). At the request of the Governor, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is coordinating this work in partnership with the department’s Health Equity Commission.
Each agency’s plan outlines its priorities, strategies, and measures for progress. These plans focus on broad, lasting changes to make Colorado a place where everyone can thrive. Agencies will provide updates on their progress.
This endeavor closely aligns with the mission of Colorado for ALL, led by the Statewide Equity Office. It aims to advance equitable practices across the state that are guided by data, community engagement, policy development, and education – all integral to the equity strategic plans. Colorado for ALL calls upon state agencies to work toward a Colorado where everyone has value and the opportunity to thrive.
This equity strategic plan is also an example of a pathbreaking Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach at work in Colorado. HiAP approaches aim to harmonize policies and decision-making across sectors that have an effect on population health, such as early childhood education, economic development, transportation, and public safety. By aligning state agencies, we can systematically and sustainably improve the health outcomes of all Coloradans.
Healthy People 2030 Framework
The equity plans follow guidance from Healthy People 2030, a national health initiative that identifies five key areas affecting health:
Economic Stability
(income, cost of living, job access)
Education Access and Quality
(early childhood, schools, higher education)
Health Care Access and Quality
(insurance, primary care, chronic disease management)
Neighborhood and Built Environment
(safety, air and water quality, transportation)
Social and Community
(family, friends, networks)
Community engagement
State agencies are working alongside communities to ensure their voices shape the equity plans. The goal is to include real-life experiences and expertise from those most affected by health disparities.
Forging a path for health equity
All state agencies are integrating equity into policies and programs. By working together, agencies can remove barriers, support economic stability, and improve health outcomes for all Coloradans. These efforts create a model for other states and local governments to follow.